School lunch just might be worth it

[disneydreamersx4]

If the meat is sliced thin then 3 slices is good for us but if it's on the thicker side then we'll use 1- 2 slices.

 

[grumpeeduck]

I work at a HS cafeteria. I am amazed at how many kids come in a blow $4-5 on crap. Many will take a sandwich and milk, which is considered a *lunch* for pricing. I try to offer the fresh fruit, salad bar which all comes with their lunch and most of them will not touch it.
Our lunch is $2.25

I've often wondered why schools offer the "crap" such as ice cream (who needs this at lunch during the week!), chips, etc.
I think it is to make money, but aren't they in the business of providing healthy choices?

 

[marcemc]

I make & pack my boys' lunches & snacks everyday but friday.

They attend a charter school, no cafeteria but yu can order lunch through their cattering service.

Cheese pizza, salad & apple wedges, the drink is either milk or organic juice =$4 each.

 

[ShannonMB]

Lunch at my DDs elementary school costs $2.65, which includes the milk. They have the usual crapola - pizza, chicken fries, french toast sticks, mystery burgers (which DD loves ). But they also offer cream cheese bagels or chef salads as an alternative to the entree, and since she doesn't like a lot of their choices, she usually chooses the chef salad at least a couple times a week, and packs once or twice a week. I'm okay with the junk in moderation, and you can't beat the price!

 

[kacaju]

I've often wondered why schools offer the "crap" such as ice cream (who needs this at lunch during the week!), chips, etc.
I think it is to make money, but aren't they in the business of providing healthy choices?

I am sure it is to make money. I only just started working there last year. I will say though... we do offer healthy choices, but you can't make the kids eat it.

 

[FoundMyPrince]

I cannot believe some of these prices for lunch! Our school is $1.35. My kiddos eat at school once a week - and the rest of the time we pack a lunch.

One slice of meat on a sandwich? Are you talking about shaved turkey or something a little more substantial? I think one piece would be just a mouthful of bread.

 

[3DisneyBuggs]

My kids just switched to a public school and lunch is $1.50 a day.The menu looks good and it will be cheaper for me. I would spend about $6 a week just for bread. I told them we could do one week hot lunch, one week from home lunch. Everyone also gets breakfast in school for free. Last year my DS was in PreK so they got breakfast everyday in the classroom. He really liked the egg sandwich so I may send them in early on a few days for breakfast. This is in NYC and with all the cutbacks I'm shocked breakfast is free.

 

[princessmom29]

count us in on "1 slice of deli meat ONLY per sandwich" plus a slice of cheese. All of those piles of meat can't be healthy, and kids don't need more than a slice. And it's lunch we're talking about, so that doesn't need to be as large as dinner anyway.

It depends on how you are having it sliced. We do really thin so there are about 20 slices or more to a pound. I put 3-4 on a sandwich along with a slice of real cheese not processed(cheddar or porvolone)for DD6. She gets a fruit with her sandwich. I don't send chips. They have NO nutritional value. It is lean meat (turkey breast) and actually much better for them than chesse or bread. High protien, low fat, low carb. It stays with them longer and provides quality nutrition. yes, the meat is more expensive than sending chips as supplement, but so much better for her. She also gets a small sncak in the morning before they go to PE. DD dances or cheers every day after school, and if she doesn't eat enough at lunch she is tired and cranky by 6:00 when we get home. We get dinner about 7:00, and her lunch is at 11:30. I have seen a huge difference in how tired she is since I have started sending a sandwich for lunch rather than buying, or doing lunchables. I think she needs some protien in her system to hold her until we get home. Kids concentrate better with full tummies as well.

 

[JoiseyMom]

The DS is in 4th grade and his school lunch is now $1.75, it has gone up over the past few years. DD is now in HS, and her lunch is $3 or less, depending on the option you pick.

Unless I am making them a PB&J or nutella sandwich, or even a bagel, it is cheaper for them to buy lunch. DS can't even take PB anymore, since this year there is a child with peanut allergies. I am thankful that DS has expanded his food list, since that was all he used to eat.

I also put at least 1/4 lb of meat on a sandwich. I don't understand the 1 slice of meat, its only one ounce of protein. You are having all carbs and very little protein. My ex used to eat like that, and went through tons of bread. Maybe it is a culture thing?

These days if I make tuna I need to make at least 1 can per person. I used to be able to get 2 sandwiches out of 1 can, but now that cans are only 5 ounces...that just goes on one sandwich.

 

[sookie]

We use about 3 slices of meat maybe 4 for DH. One would not seem like a decent amount for us.

I think that just once slice is not enough! At least a couple of slices - if its a sandwhich for a big man with an appetite -at least 1/4 lb!
Our school lunches are like 1.85 and they get EVERYTHING. I am more than happy to pony that up. However, my daughter does take her lunch at least 2 days a week!

 

[piglet33]

One piece of meat? Can you even taste it? All I'd taste is bread.

Me too. I put 3 slices of meat and 2 slices of cheese on DD's sandwich.

 

[jordansmomma]

I agree my oldest is in high school and they have a pretty good menu.
There are several different choices everyday, salad/soup bar (everyday), sandwich bar (everyday), Mexican bar- choice of tacos, taco salad, burritos, a different choice everyday, Italian bar, Asian bar, burger/chicken sandwich/hotdog/veggie burger bar, with a fruit/veggie choice and milk. His lunch is 2.25 a day. They have a lot different choices everyday. So far he has made good choices.

 

[natcat117]

I went to public school and everyone had free lunch. Of course, we didn't have choice of food at all. Every Friday we had enchiladas. Most of the food was not edible. They'd made about 20-25 salads (for maybe 500 students) per lunch so you had to RUN if you wanted one. That was really the only healthy option we had.

 

[Harmonysmomma]

ONE PIECE OF LUNCH MEAT? Holy CRAP! My 2 year old needs at least 2 or 3. We only eat boarhead's honey ham which is 8.99 a pound. OUCH! And we only get 100% whole wheat bread. Usually with fiber. So on sale 2 or 2.50.

We do pack a few times a week. But her school lunch is 1.80. Including Milk. And they have like 4 alternatives.

 

[grumpeeduck]

We buy Boar's head from Publix as well and when I said "1 slice", I meant 1 of them sliced in sandwich thickness and NOT shaved. So it's a nice and wide piece that you can actually pick up separately. Their deli meats are huge in diameter, so it's a hearty sandwich.

 

[minniebeth]

OP, if we had the options that your DD had, my kids would be buying lunch more often too! My DS is in private HS and the lunches are good, but a complete lunch (and lunch is his biggest meal of the day...he wakes up at 5:30, has lunch at noon and doesn't get home until 6:30 with sports, they NEED to eat a big lunch) costs around $6. Because it is a private school, they don't have the buying power a whole school district does. The lunches are pretty nutritious and really good, but that is a lot when you add it up over the week.
Plus, the lines are really long he says, so by the time he gets the food, there's not much time to eat.

I pack really good lunches for him, so he doesn't mind.
Sam's does have great deli and cheese prices (Castle something? It's pretty good quality, and I'm picky, I'm a Boar's Head lover, but try to alernate) and I buy bread at a local bread outlet that has fantastic prices on healthy breads. I cook extras for dinner now and he'll bring leftovers often since he has access to a microwave.

My DDs have a decent lunch for $2.25, older DD gets a salad bar option since she's in the older grades (K-8 school). For her, she loves the salad bar with lots of options, and it includes either soup or a baked potato so the $ is worth it. She gets to buy most frequent and the other kids get annoyed with that, but it's what's most economical.

But still, doing the math: $6 per day avg. DS, $2.25 per day X2 for DDs, that is $52.50 for lunches for the week, and we can definately do that cheaper by packing.

 

[luvmy3]

I don't care how much cheaper our school lunches are, I would rather have them bring everyday than eat that stuff I wish we had chef prepared options like the OP, heck I'd even join them some days

 

[minniebeth]

I don't care how much cheaper our school lunches are, I would rather have them bring everyday than eat that stuff I wish we had chef prepared options like the OP, heck I'd even join them some days

It's really funny that my DDs' cafeteria makes homemade calzones that are SOOOOOO good! Everyone buys on calzone day. Well, so many parents were coming to join their kids for lunch (and buying) on that day, that the cafeteria has a rule now that parents cannot buy lunch on calzone day, they simply can't make enough. It was a huge calzone, marinara sauce on the side, a green salad and dressing, a fresh fruit and milk or juice for $2.25. A bargain.

You can still join the kids for lunch on that day, but no calzone, only salad bar. Last year I bribed my DD8 to let me come on calzone day and I'd bring something from home that she liked and share half of her calzone and trade what I had. This year she told me it was a no go, she can eat all of it now that she's in 3rd grade.

 

[luvmy3]

It's really funny that my DDs' cafeteria makes homemade calzones that are SOOOOOO good! Everyone buys on calzone day. Well, so many parents were coming to join their kids for lunch (and buying) on that day, that the cafeteria has a rule now that parents cannot buy lunch on calzone day, they simply can't make enough. It was a huge calzone, marinara sauce on the side, a green salad and dressing, a fresh fruit and milk or juice for $2.25. A bargain.

You can still join the kids for lunch on that day, but no calzone, only salad bar. Last year I bribed my DD8 to let me come on calzone day and I'd bring something from home that she liked and share half of her calzone and trade what I had. This year she told me it was a no go, she can eat all of it now that she's in 3rd grade.

If I did that my kids would probably inform me of the no sharing lunches rule. When I go, I don't buy anything, me and another mom go out to lunch after

 

[NVDisMom]

I am assuming this is not a public school?

Sadly it is...